Benefits of Sports Massage

Sports massage is a form of therapy which can help alleviatethe bodies’ soft tissue structures – including muscles, tendons, ligaments andfascia. Therapists use a range of manual, compressive and stretching techniquesto help reduce tightness, relieve tension and promote healthy soft tissue, andbelow are some of the other benefits:

Helps relieve stress and reduces anxiety

Just a single massage treatment can reduce one’s stresslevels, and regular massages can have long-term beneficial effects. As well ashelping to reduce cortisol within the body (the stress hormone), this type ofmassage can also boost the bodies’ endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, helpingyou to relax and elevate positive moods. Sports massages have also been shownto alleviate symptoms in people suffering with long-term depression and anxietyproblems.

Boosts immunity

Our immune system is the biological part of our body thatprevents illness and disease, but this can suffer due to a number of reasonssuch as stress and poor diet. Massage has been shown to boost immunity byincreasing the cytotoxic cells that kill viruses and toxins within the body.Massage promotes the important drainage of toxins through the lymphatic systemin the body, helping to increase good blood supply to the body.

Regulates Blood Pressure

High or low blood pressure can be fatal and symptomless, leading on to a numberof problems such as heart disease and stroke. Getting blood pressure to ahealthy level is vital and regular massage is a cost effective treatment toregulate blood pressure – helping to increase good blood flow and supply to thebody – decrease heart rate and decrease cortisol within the body which has beenshown to increase blood pressure.

Helps to tone (scar tissue)

A sedentary lifestyle and poor muscle health can lead to muscles becominguntoned. This can be due to poor blood supply, high levels of adhesions andpoor contractibility. Sports massage can help by stimulating unused musclefibres, breaking down knots within the tissues and regulating good blood supplyand beneficial drainage of toxins. Scar tissue that is laid down after injuryis treatable with massage techniques – massages can break down and elongatescar tissue, helping to increase skins elasticity.

Relieves Pain

Pain in any form will cause your body and mind undue stress.Sports massage, though uncomfortable itself when using deeper techniques, canbe helpful in preventing and stopping pain. Headaches can be relieved viamassage to the neck and shoulder regions, helping to relax the muscles that areoften tight and therefore inhibiting blood flow to the brain. Joint and softtissue pain – even arthritis – has been shown to decrease with sports massage.Various techniques help to improve blood flow, which helps healing and alsodevelops a better range of motion at joints. The positive endorphins releasedduring massage also help manage pain and promote relaxation.

Helps Breathing

Many debilitating conditions affect breathing and the respiratory system, suchas asthma, bronchitis and allergies. Massage alone cannot solve these problemsbut can go a long way to help. Treatments can help relax the respiratorymuscles in the back and front of the body, helping sufferers breathe deeper.Massages can also improve posture, which can help open up the chest to improvebreathing efficiency.

If you think sports massage might be the right treatment for you or you would like to find out more please contact us on 01672 851212.